Topsail to hold public meeting on proposed paddling trails

Topsail Beach is paddling ahead with a proposal that would cater to the second fastest growing outdoor activity in the country.

Trista Talton Wilmington StarNews

Topsail Beach is paddling ahead with a proposal that would cater to the second fastest growing outdoor activity in the country.

With the help of faculty and students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, along with local Topsail Beach business Ecological Marine Adventures, the town has identified three proposed paddling trails in the marshes of Topsail Island.

The town is hosting a public meeting Saturday morning to receive input about the trail locations, as well as interpretive signs that would be placed throughout trail routes.

Anthony Snider, assistant professor of environmental studies at UNCW, said the longest trail would stretch about six miles.

The proposal, which will be presented at the public meeting, includes multiple water accesses for paddlers along the western side of Topsail Beach.

“Two of them will have restroom facilities,” Snider said. “There will actually be signage on the trails. It’s a great opportunity for people to see what the marsh system is like.”

Topsail Beach has two sound-side accesses for paddlers — one at the town’s Bush Marina and one off Smith Avenue.

Town officials see an opportunity in paddling — the second fastest growing outdoor activity, just behind bird watching — to help boost ecological awareness as well as the local economy.

The town recently lost a major attraction when the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center relocated to a new facility in neighboring Surf City.

Pender County years ago tried to tap in to the paddling craze by mapping trails throughout the county. It was an effort led by Pender County’s tourism department that never came to fruition because of a lack of funding.

“In the meantime we added all the boat put-ins where you can put in kayaks and canoes on our website,” Pender Tourism Director Monique Baker said. “Paddling is big-time here. It’s a sport that just about anybody can do.”

The county’s Intracoastal Waterway tributaries, along with such popular waterways as Holly Shelter Creek, Moores Creek and the Black River, draw numerous paddlers to Pender, she said.

“These trails are going to be used by a lot of tourists, but there’s a lot of locals who have their own boats too,” Herrings’ owner Steve Bailey said. “A lot of people want to know where to go. It’s just a good thing for North Carolina to promote these activities in this state.”

Topsail Beach has received a $2,500 matching National Park Service grant from the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program. The proposed project has also gained support from The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Want to go?

What: A public meeting on Topsail Beach’s proposed paddling trails. UNCW officials, as well as a representative with the N.C. Paddle Trails Association, will attend, and a map of the proposed paddling trails will be available.